Family Gets Lifetime Ban From Pee Wee Football After Father Allegedly Put Teen Coach In Chokehold

A New Jersey man is facing criminal charges and has gotten his family a lifetime from a pee wee football league after allegedly putting a 16-year-old coach in a chokehold because he was frustrated that his son had been rotated out of the quarterback position.

Peter Iappelli faces charges of simple assault and disorderly conduct, per reporting from NJ.com. His son was playing in a game for 6- to 8-year-olds on Saturday. But when his son was shifted out of the quarterback’s role, Iapelli allegedly got angry enough to head over and try attacking the coach. From NJ.com:

“(Iappelli’s) son was the quarterback but he was rotated out of that position by the coach,” said Fred Kritzer, commissioner of the North Jersey NFL Flag Football league. “The coach even informed the parents of the rotation. That’s when the guy got very upset.”

Iapelli, 50, approached the teen coach and extended his hand, Kritzer said.

“What looked like a handshake turned into a bear hug that turned into a chokehold,” Kritzer said.

Ah, yes, the classic handshake-turned-bear-hug-turned-chokehold. Brilliant. He later wrote an apology to the coach and the team, and he then surrendered to police with his attorney on Wednesday.

[ NJ.com]